Stand By Me
by vn-dynasty
Summary: He would always be there for her. To protect and care for her. But, she didn't want to be his burden. She couldn't allow him to take care of a deaf woman for the rest of his life. *Indefinite hiatus until I remember where I was going with this story*
1. Prologue

"_A story is told as much by silence as by speech.__"  
><em>_(__Susan Griffin__)_

**Prologue**

As morning came about, a young lady slid out of bed and looked over to her alarm clock. Instead of creating a loud noise, the device simply had two red lights flashing on and on wildly. She let out an immense sigh and walked over to her desk, turning off the alarm.

"I heard you the first time," she said quietly.

Then the young lady quickly got up and began her day. Now this girl went by the name of Lacus Clyne. She possessed beautiful, silky pink hair and radiant baby blue eyes. Her beauty could only be compared to a goddess, and even that was far from an equal comparison. Aside from her gorgeousness, she was also highly intellectual, a filial daughter and a talented singer. She was every man's dream woman except for one minor detail.

Lacus Clyne was born with impaired hearing since birth. Her mother was physically weak at the time and all of the doctors had warned her it would be safer to get rid of the baby than to strain herself during labour. However, Lacus' mother refused to give up on her child and had the baby anyways. The woman was determined to give this baby a chance in life, and succeeded in doing so. Sadly in the end, she died after childbirth, leaving the enfant without a mother. Before the woman passed away, she was able to give birth to a beautiful baby girl. Sadly, she was born with a defect and ever since the minute she was born into this world, Lacus Clyne has always been partially deaf.

However, this didn't stop Lacus from living her life. Even without her mother, Lacus' father, Siegel Clyne always cared for her and supported her throughout all the hard years. Though Siegel was a very successful businessman with an enormous company, Lacus' chose not to work in her father's company. She figured that her disability would only make it troublesome for her father at work and didn't want to get in this way. Instead, she applied for work at a local noodle stall. All the customers were incredibly understanding. The regular patrons would never rush her and were patient enough to wait when she was unable to get their order right. The owner, Uzumi Nara Athha was equally as understanding, even treating her just like his own daughter, Cagalli. In time, Lacus and Cagalli had grown to be sworn sisters and helped each other whenever either of them needed something. Lacus was fortunate enough to be surrounding by such loving people in her life. She never asked for anything more and never thought about anything else. Until one day, someone walked into her life and changed it forever.

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++] **


	2. Unpleasant Meeting

**Unpleasant Meeting**

The nation of ORB. A busy and bustling country filled with aspirations and dreams. This especially applied to the youngsters who travelled to ORB in the hopes of exploring the world and fulfilling their life ambitions. Whether it was to become a successful singer, writer, lawyer, businessman, or politician, ORB was a nation of magic where anything was possible. Lacus Clyne however, was a simple girl who chose a simple life.

"Two bowls of ramen and one large shake, your total comes to $24.50,"said an enthusiastic pink haired girl as she pulled out the bill.

"Here sweetie. Keep up the good work"

Lacus began observing her lips. Then she smiled sweetly. "Thank you, come again!"

Suddenly, her phone began to vibrate. Lacus quickly picked it up and noticed that the person calling was none other than her best friend Cagalli. She instantly reached into her pocket and found her hearing aid, and then she answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Lacus! Is it busy over there? Do you need me to come over and give a hand?" the worried blonde on the other line began to ask. Ever since they could remember, Lacus and Cagalli had always been the best of friends.

***** START FLASHBACK *****

**Three large girls began to hover around a defenceless Lacus. One had a cell phone in hand and was recording the whole ordeal. **

"**Come on deaf girl, smile right into the camera!" one of them said.**

"**Yeah what's the matter can't you hear us?" the other one fiendishly asked.**

**Lacus was being overwhelmed. **_**"Why can't these girls just leave me alone..."**_

**Right then, a certain blonde haired girl had been walking by the hallway and saw what was going on. She quickly ran up to the three bullies and saw a helpless girl kneeling on the floor. **

"**Hey what do you guys think you're doing? Leave her alone!" she angrily yelled.**

**The group of girls began to laugh. "Butt out and mind your own business Cagalli."**

**If there was one thing that Cagalli hated it was people who picked on the weak and defenceless. "If you guys don't stop it I'll report you to the authorities. Then we'll see who has the last laugh." Lacus, who was observing their little confrontation, was left in awe at her bravery and self-confidence. **

**The three girls began to look worried. They knew that Cagalli was not someone who made false promises. Just like that they quickly retired. Cagalli then reached out her hand to lend to Lacus who was still lying on the floor.**

"**Thanks for your help," she said timidly.**

**Cagalli smiled. "No problem. You're Lacus right? The one who works for my dad?"**

**Lacus shyly looked up at Cagalli and nodded. She had seen her around school and at work a few times but this was the first conversation that they had face to face. **

**Cagalli could see that Lacus was still a little shaken up by the incident that just occurred. She smiled sweetly. "Don't worry. From now on I have your back."**

***** END FLASHBACK *****

Ever since then, the two of them had become absolutely inseparable over the years.

"No Cagalli it's perfectly alright. Everything is fine over here. Besides, you should help out your father. It's not easy for him to run a whole nation by himself you know."

"I guess you're right," Cagalli said as she let out a huge sigh. "I remember when things used to be a whole lot easier. I'm still amazed at the fact that my father has become the leader of ORB. Things were a whole lot simpler when we owned that ramen stall," Cagalli said as a sense of nostalgia began to run through her. "Things sure do change..."

Lacus chuckled. "Oh Cagalli you've haven't change in the least. Still the aggressive tomboy who loves picking fights," she said teasing her friend. "Anyways I hear that Athrun is going to be returning from the PLANTS. You must be excited."

Even though she couldn't see it, Lacus could tell that Cagalli was blushing madly on the other end of the phone. "Whaa...What are you saying? Please I don't care whether he comes back or not. I'm just excited because my twin brother is also coming to ORB today too. "

"That's right," Lacus said softly. "I can't wait to meet your brother. I can't believe you two were actually separated at birth. It must be nice to finally catch up with him."

"Oh I forgot you two haven't actually met yet. Yeah it's been awhile since I've seen him. But you know, considering that he's my twin brother, he's not that bad of a looker. Maybe I could set you two up?" Cagalli said slyly while laughing out loudly.

The pink haired girl let out groan. "Surree…try to set me up with a guy like you always do!"

"Oh come on Lacus. You have to get out there eventually. How will you know if you never give it a try?"

Lacus quietly smiled. She knew her friend was only looking out for her "...Anyways I got to get back to work. I'll talk to you later Cagalli."

Lacus instantly put her phone back in her pocket and removed the hearing aid from her ear. "_There she goes again" _She thought to herself as an immense sigh escaped from her mouth._ "I know Cagalli means well but I'm just not in the right position to be thinking about love now. I'm perfectly fine just the way I am. Besides, who would want to be bothered by someone like me."_

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

Just as the girls were talking, two young men began to walk out of the airport. One had soft blue hair and bright green eyes. The other one was brunette with dark amethyst eyes. Both of these young gentlemen were quite muscular and well built. While stepping out of the front gate, all the young girls couldn't help but steal quick glances at them.

The blue haired man smirked and looked towards his friend. "Kira are you ready to go?

The brunette looked deeply troubled and had a worried look on his face. "You go on ahead. I have to call Flay. I heard she was taken to the hospital a couple days ago. I hope she's alright," he worriedly said. Kira and Flay had been dating ever since college. They had their fair share of arguments and rough times over the years but even so the two were very much in love. However, ever since Kira left for the PLANTS to further his studies, they drifted apart as Kira began to put more of his attention into his career than her.

Athrun had an annoyed look on his face. "Alright, I'll see you later. I have to catch up with Cagalli or she'll kill me!" he nervously said as he began to chase after a taxi. Just as Kira was far out of his reach he began to think to himself, _"Well I guess he was bound to find out eventually. I just hope he can find a nice girl after this whole mess is sorted out. Now I better go find my girl..."_

Kira laughed at his clumsy friend. Just as he was about to dial her number, he suddenly received a phone call. Coincidentally, it was just who he wanted to talk to.

"Hey Flay are you alright? You haven't called these past couple days and I was really worried," he said anxiously as he waited for her reply.

"Kira I have to talk to you," the voice on the other line said. There was a brief silence and then her voice came back on "I just got a check up and I've found out that...that I'm pregnant."

Kira's face suddenly turned black. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Pre...Pre..Pregnant? Right then and there he was just about ready to explode. _"Oh my gosh! This can't be happening. What am I going to do...How will this affect my career. I can hardly take care of myself let alone an infant!"_ He took a deep pause. This child was his after all. He had to take responsibility for his actions, even it meant accepting the gruesome consequences.

"Um...well...we can...," he nervously said.

He could hear Flay on the other end of the line letting out a huge sigh. "Kira I already know what you're thinking. Don't worry the baby isn't yours."

"What! Not my baby? But Flay..."

"I called you today because I want us to break up. We can't be together anymore...At most we can still remain friends. Once I'm discharged from the hospital I'll come and find you and then Sai and I can explain things properly. Goodbye." Then she hung up the phone.

Kira was in shock. What was going on? Everything just happened so fast that he had no idea what was going on. "_Flay broke up with me? She's with Sai? She got back together with him? She's pregnant!" _Then it finally dawned on him. "_She...she cheated on me..."_ Kira was enraged. He couldn't believe that she could do that to him. Suddenly he felt his body collapsing on the floor.

"_This can't be happening. Why would Flay do that. I've given her the best years of my life and she goes out and..." _He realized it was too late now. Kira quickly got up on his feet and wiped the tears from his eyes. He unwillingly put his phone back in his pocket and began walking. "_I need to get a drink..."_

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

After an exhausting day of work, Lacus finally began to close up shop. She was just about to lock up when a depressed drunk male appeared. Unfortunately, Lacus was not wearing her hearing aids and didn't hear him coming in.

Kira walked in and took a seat, his body reeked of cheap beer and perfume. He rose up his head and looked over just barely enough to see a pink haired woman over the counter. _"Hmp. What a...What a weird colour," _he thought to himself.

"Hey can you take my order?" he asked, but got no reply back.

Kira began to get annoyed. This was not the best time to get on his nerves especially after the whole incident with Flay this morning.

"Hey are you ignoring me? Hey!"

This was the last straw. He quickly got up, approached the pink haired woman and tapped her on the shoulder. Lacus then turned around.

"Hello can I help you?" she innocently asked, unaware that he had been there the entire time.

For just a moment, Kira stopped and looked into her eyes. He was completely taken away by her natural beauty. _"She's quite the looker," _he thought to himself. But this didn't stop him from expressing his rage. "Can you help me? I've been sitting here for over 5 minutes waiting for you to take my order. Are you deaf or something? How could someone be so incompetent! Even completely deaf people could have heard me. Do you suffer from brain disorder!" he angrily yelled.

Even though Lacus couldn't hear him, she was able to read his lips. Small tears started to drip down her eyes. She tried to hold them in but it was too much to bear. Just then, Cagalli walked in on the two of them, unaware of what had just happened.

"Hey Lacus...are you alright?" she worriedly asked her best friend.

"Cagalli you're here...Close up for me I have to go...," she quietly said and then ran off.

"Wait Lacus where are you going?" But before Cagalli could get an answer out of her pink haired friend, she had already left.

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

After Lacus had ran off, Cagalli noticed the male that was standing next to the counter. It was Kira!

"Kira you're here! How was your trip?" she eagerly asked her brother.

Kira then sighed. "It was fine. By the way who was that girl?"

"Oh her name's Lacus. She's my best friend and she also helps run this stall"

Kira smirked. "She runs this whole stall? How can she do that when she doesn't even know how to please her customers. I was calling on her for so long and she didn't even respond. I wonder what's wrong with her. Must be mentally ill or something."

Suddenly, everything had become clear to her. Was that the reason why her friend had left in such a hurry. Cagalli began to become infuriated. She closed her hand into a fist and wildly hurled it towards her brother, hitting him right in the stomach.

Kira was taken away by what Cagalli had just done. Even for a girl, her punches could kill. "Arggg! What's wrong with you!"

"I should be asking you that jerk!" Cagalli quickly countered as she grabbed Kira by the collar. "What's wrong with you! Is that what you said to her? Is that why she ran off! Don't you know that she has a hearing disorder! How can you be so insensitive?"

At that very moment, Kira immediately felt all the alcohol begin to leave this body. His mind starting clearing up and he soon realized just what he had done. _"She has a hearing disorder? I said all those things to her..." _

"...How was I supposed to know...?" he said quietly.

"Who cares if you didn't know. Now you've gone and hurt her feelings. I swear if anything happens to her I'll never forgive you! Jesus now I have to go look for her," Cagalli said as she quickly ran for the door.

Right then, Kira quickly grabbed her hand and stopped her. He knew that he had to make amends for what he did. "No. Let me look for her. I have to apologize to her properly anyways."

Cagalli shrugged him off. "You better"

"I promise I will."

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

**So Kira was basically a complete ass in this chapter. Don't worry, he'll probably redeem himself. In the upcoming chapters we'll take a look into everyone's past and how Kira and Lacus will start to develop and maybe a few Athrun/Cagalli scenes in between. And this isn't the last of Flay. To Anti-Flay fans, no she isn't going to be playing the typically bitch. She's actually going to help me in creating K/L magic...**


	3. Remorse

**Remorse**

Lacus was walking through the park. The words of that mysterious man still lingering in the back of her mind.

"_**Can you help me? I've been sitting here for over 5 minutes waiting for you to take my order. Are you deaf or something. How could someone be so incompetent! Even completely deaf people could have heard me. Do you suffer from brain disorder!" he angrily yelled.**_

She remembered everything he had said word for word. After quickly wiping the tears from her eyes she let out an immense sigh. _"Guess I can't really blame him. I would be pretty annoyed too. I'm sure he wouldn't have said that if he had known about my..." _

Without completing her thought, Lacus quickly reached into her pocket to grab her hearing aids. Once she had put them on, she continued walking home again when she saw a familiar figure from a distance. It was that same man from the before! She was surprised at his sudden reappearance but was even more taken away as she saw the look in his eyes. Back at the stall she had seen angry, hateful eyes. Now they had completely changed. They looked innocent, helpless even. They reminded her of her own eyes.

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

Kira had crossed the corner and began panting heavily, feeling every bone in his body begin to get sore. He had been looking for that girl for over an hour with still no signs of her._ "Where the hell could she be? Damn! I have to find her..."_ No matter how long it took he had to find that girl and apologize to her properly, otherwise he would never be able to forgive himself. But all this running around had taken a number on him, not to mention he still had a large amount of alcohol in his system. Suddenly, he turned his head over only to look straight towards the girl he was looking for. _"It's her! I've finally found her! _But before he got a chance to come up to her, Kira felt his body suddenly giving up on him. He was so exhausted that he passed out right there on the street.

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

Lacus, who had been standing right there, saw the young man pass out on the floor. Without even giving it a thought, she rushed over to him. _"What on earth happened to him?"_ Lacus thought worryingly as she placed his head onto her lap for support and touched his face trying to awaken him. Remarkably, she suddenly found herself gazing at his gentle face. _"He is quite handsome," _she thought quietly as she found herself blushing a ridiculous shade of red.

"Hey...are you alright?" Lacus spoke softly trying not to scare him.

As if an angel was calling on him, Kira instantly found his senses returning to him. As he opened his eyes, he found himself starring at none other than Lacus, the girl he had been looking for. All most instantly, he saw the hearing piece hanging from her ears.

"Um..Thanks," he softly said.

Lacus sighed out of relief. "No problem," she said while giving him a warm smile.

Kira was surprised at her cheerful disposition. _"How is she happy to see me after all the horrible things that I just said to her?"_ After finally realizing what had just happened, Kira picked himself off the floor and then offered his hand to help up Lacus which she gladly accepted.

"You're Lacus right? Cagalli's friend?"

Lacus was a little surprised. How did this stranger know so much. "Yes that's right," she replied while nodding her head. "How do you know that?"

"Well you see, I'm her brother. My name is Kira," he said hesitantly. "Kira Yamato"

"Oh! It's nice to meet you Mr. Yamato," Lacus said sweetly.

Mentally, Lacus was literally blown away. This was Cagalli's brother? _"Those two don't look anything like each other."_ Lacus thought to herself. _"But Cagalli was right. Her brother really is good looking." _It was then that Lacus realized she was beginning to blush madly. She quickly ducked her head down, hoping that the handsome man next to her wouldn't notice her odd behaviour.

Kira, who was confused at Lacus' actions, began to think that she was still upset over what he had said to her. His face then began to turn black. _"Gosh I'm such a jerk...Now I've gone and made her feel bad..." _Almost on an impulse, Kira grabbed Lacus' shoulder, causing her head to stare up directly at his own. Their faces were so close together it almost seemed like they were about to kiss. Lacus, who was taken off guard by this sudden action, was frightened at the proximity between their faces, but also found herself enjoying it.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about what I said earlier. My girlfriend just broke up with me and I was really drunk back there and didn't know what I was saying. I know you must hate me right now but I really would like to make it up to you and..." Kira found it difficult trying to explain himself while looking right in her eyes.

Lacus, who had forgotten about the whole incident, could sense the sincerity in his words. "You don't have to say anymore. I know you really mean it and that's the important thing," she kindly said as she pulled his arms away from her shoulders while blushing.

Kira, who was surprised at what she had to say, let out a sigh of relief. He then turned towards her and smiled. "I'm grateful."

Lacus also smiled at him. "Well it was nice meeting you Mr. Yamato. Anyways I have to go now, it's getting pretty dark. You should be heading home too. I'm sure Cagalli is worried about you"

Kira reached for his watch and noticed that it was almost midnight. "You're right," he chuckled. "I should get going. It was nice meeting you Lacus. Maybe I'll see you another time."

"You too," Lacus sweetly replied, and then turned around to head for home. But before she could start walking she heard Kira's voice again.

"And one more thing!" he said while calling out to her. Lacus turned her head around.

"Thank you," he said.

Lacus couldn't get a word out. She simply nodded her head and began walking again.

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

Just as Lacus had left, Kira also found himself ready to leave when his phone started vibrating. He picked it up only to hear his sister's anxious voice on the other end.

"Kira did you find her?" asked Cagalli in a nervous tone.

"Yeah I found her."

"Did you apologize you little bastard?"

Kira grinned. "You could say that," he said, thinking back to the pink haired beauty. "You know she really is something," he said softly, just enough so that Cagalli couldn't hear him.

"Good! Now hurry up and get home. I'm been waiting for you and Athrun for over 2 hours!"

Kira let out a loud chuckle. "Alright Cagalli, I'm heading home right now. Bye."

As Kira was putting his phone back into his pocket, he noticed a shiny pink object lying on the floor. He bent down to look over it when he realized that it was the same earpiece that Lacus was wearing before. _"She must have dropped it. I better return it to her," _he thought to himself as he quickly ran towards the direction that he saw Lacus leave in.

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

Lacus, who now realized that it was getting late, decided to walk home a little faster. Suddenly, she noticed that her hearing aid was no longer attached to her ear. _"Oh no! Where could it be"_ She frantically began searching for it when she suddenly remembered her talk with Kira. _"I must have dropped it after we finished talking..." _Lacus decided to run back and look for it when she ran into a drunk man in his fifties.

The man looked up at Lacus and lust filled his eyes. "Hey gorgeous. You wanna come over to my place for some coffee?" he weirdly asked as he began stroking her hair.

Lacus, who could not read what he was saying due to his enormous beard, gently pushed him away. "Sorry, I don't understand you. I have to go," she said, anxiously trying to get away from the man.

"What? You don't like me? Maybe this will change your mind." And with that the man pushed Lacus to the ground, forcing his body onto hers. Lacus tried to scream but he instantly covered her mouth. "Don't worry pretty lady. We don't even need to go to my place...We can do it right here!" the man sinisterly said as he began to unbutton her shirt.

"What are you doing! Get off of me!" Lacus mumbled, unaware that her cries were left unheard. _"This can't be happening. Please someone save me."_

Kira, who was searching for Lacus, instantly arrived at the scene. He saw the drunk man on the ground with someone, but couldn't recognize who it was. However, something inside of him knew there was something wrong. He quickly ran up to the man only to see a trace of pink underneath his rugged body. Kira suddenly realized it was Lacus!

"Hey what are you doing! Get off of her!" Kira yelled as he pushed back the drunken old man with all his might. As the man fell on the floor, Kira turned his head and saw Lacus nearly undressed and covered tears. He was so enraged that he quickly grabbed a hold on the man and punched him right in the face. "You bastard! Why did you do that to her. If you wanted a girl you could've went to a bar! Why did you have to attack her on the street?" he asked angrily, almost running out of breath.

The sleazy old man simply grinned as blood started to drip down his nose. "Hehe, I was only fooling around. Next time take better care of your girl," he said as he quickly ran off.

As much as Kira wanted to chase him down and start beating on him senselessly, he couldn't leave Lacus there alone. He immediately rushed to her side.

"Hey are you alright"

Lacus, who was closing her eyes the entire time, didn't realize that it was Kira.

"Please stop! Please stop!"

Kira suddenly realized that she couldn't hear him. "Lacus open your eyes, it's me Kira! Everything's going to be fine. He won't hurt you anymore!" Almost out of an impulse, Kira wrapped his arms around Lacus and pulled her into his embrace. He felt guilty for what had just happened. That perverted monster was able to take advantage of her because he had left her alone. _"How could I be so foolish...I let that creep..."_ Tears started running down his eyes.

Still wrapped up in his embrace, Lacus suddenly felt the atmosphere had changed. She suddenly felt warm, safe,...secure. Lacus slowly began to open her eyes. To her surprise, the drunk old man had disappeared and it was actually Kira who had his arms wrapped around her. Astonishingly, she didn't feel uncomfortable at all. She liked this warmth, this security that she was getting from him. She didn't want this moment to end until she looked up and saw Kira's face covered in tears. "Kira are you alright?" she softly asked.

Kira raised his head. _"Lacus! She's alright!" _At that moment he was so overcome with joy that he tightened his grip on her, almost never wanting to let go. Lacus, was caught off guard by this, but still enjoyed the feeling that it gave her.

"Um Kira..I can't really breath."

Kira, who had not realized what he was doing, released her from his grasp and simply blushed. "Um sorry about that...Are you okay? He didn't do anything to you did he?" he asked worriedly, even though he knew she couldn't hear him.

Lacus smiled. Luckily Kira had rescued her just in time before things had gotten out of hand. "It's no problem. I'm fine."

Kira was astonished. _How was she able to hear what I was saying?_

Lacus sensed his confusion and suddenly realized why. "I may be deaf but that doesn't mean I can't understand you. After all I am able to read lips you know," she said with a grin.

Just like that, Kira felt another jackass moment coming on. _"Damn! I went and insulted her again!" _he thought as he mentally reprimanded himself.

Lacus simply chuckled as she saw how nervous he was getting. _"He's really quite sweet." _She thought to herself. "So what were you doing out here?"

After slowly leaving his own train of thought, Kira suddenly remembered why he had come all the way out here for. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of pink earpieces. "Well Cinderella, you forgot your slippers at the ball."

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

**Well there's the classic damsel in distress story. Will all this bring Kira and Lacus closer together? Will Kira be able to make it home before Cagalli suffers from a spasm? Will that perverted old man finally decide to invest in a pair of hookers? Find out next chapter! **


	4. Night Stroll

**Night Stroll **

"Well Cinderella, you forgot your slippers at the ball." Kira said as he let out a warm smile and placed the pink objects into her hands.

Lacus simply blushed from embarrassment. But it wasn't because of Kira's kind gesture. Lacus was blushing because throughout their whole conversation, she had finally realized that the two of them were still in the very same position on the floor. Her head resting against his well-toned body and his arms wrapped around her slim waist.

"Thank you," she said as she lifted herself up off the ground. Kira, finally noticing what was going on, blushed as well as he got up himself.

"Um, sorry about that...I guess I kind of got caught up in the moment," he said trying to explain himself, but again found it difficult while gazing in her bright blue eyes. They were absolutely mesmerizing beyond compare.

Lacus nodded her head. "I should be thanking you Kira. If you didn't come along... who knows what would have happened." Images of the incident suddenly started to appear in her mind. If left Lacus shivering with fear.

"Lacus, never mention it again. Just think of it as fate trying to bring us together," he said trying to lighten the damp mood.

Lacus smiled as she understood his intent.

"Well then, I guess you could say we have a certain affinity."

At this the two of them giggled. Before either of them could let out another word, time finally seemed to catch up to them. Lacus looked at her phone. It was almost 1pm!

"Oh my! I didn't imagine it would get so late. I'm sorry Kira, but I really should be getting home." Lacus knew her father must have been worried sick about her by now.

Kira was also a little disappointed. He didn't know why, but he felt that he needed to spend more time with this pink haired beauty.

"You know Lacus...maybe it'll be safer if I walked you home. Who knows if you'll run into that maniac again."

"It's not a problem Kira. I wouldn't want to trouble you."

"I insist!"

And before Lacus could argue he quickly grabbed her hands and started walking. Lacus was flushing with embarrassment. Although his impulsiveness took her by surprise, Lacus simply allowed Kira to lead her as she followed. But suddenly, she found that they were coming to a halt. Kira shyly turned his head around to face Lacus. "By the way...where exactly do you live?" he said awkwardly, waiting for her answer.

Lacus was dumbfounded. She suddenly found herself laughing madly. _"I guess underneath that cool skin is a goof ball. _

"It's actually the other way," Lacus said as she quickly tugged on Kira's arms as she led the way for the both of them.

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

Back at the Yamato residence, a certain blonde woman by the name of Cagalli Nara Athha had been impatiently waiting for two certain gentlemen to knock on the front door.

"What the hell is taking them so long?" Cagalli said as she began to pace back and forth. It was already past midnight and neither Kira nor Athrun had gone home yet. Cagalli was both angry and worried... but mostly angry.

"_I swear if those two don't come home in the next minute I'm going to hunt them down and give them a piece of my mind..."_

Suddenly the doorbell rang.

Cagalli found herself immediately running for the door, almost as if the person waiting outside would leave if she didn't get to it fast enough. As she opened the door, her eyes met with that of her long time boyfriend, Athrun Zala.

"Hey there," he casually said before stepping into the house.

Cagalli was relieved that Athrun was finally home, but she couldn't help but be angry at him for arriving so late. "Where the hell have you been? Do you know how worried I've been for you?" Cagalli quickly grabbed a hold of herself, not wanting to get emotional in front of him. _"Stupid bastard! We finally get to see each other after two years and he's late!"_

"I'm sorry for being so late Cagalli. I was actually caught up with something really important. Please forgive me?"

"No way!" Cagalli said as she began to turn her body the other way.

"Well then..." Athrun said out loud as he quickly reached into his pocket. As he pulled out his hands, Cagalli turned her head just enough to notice something in them.

"Humph! Don't think you can try to coax me with a petty present!"

Athrun chuckled. _"She sure hasn't changed these past two years." _

Before Cagalli was given a chance to do anything, Athrun quickly grabbed her by the waist and spun her around. Then he opened his hands, revealing a small velvet box. Cagalli was taken by surprise. As Athrun lifted up the box, Athrun found himself slowly beginning to kneel on the floor.

Cagalli was just about ready to faint at that very moment. _"He's...he's proposing?"_

Athrun started to blush. "Well you see, the reason I was so late was because I was picking up this," he said as he opened up the box, revealing an exquisite diamond ring. The glow from the ring began to radiate through the entire room, creating an even blinding light. Obviously, it must have cost a fortune.

"Athrun.."

"I had this ordered a couple months ago. They said they would have it ready by this afternoon, but of course things didn't go according to plan. That's why I came home so late. I had to make sure that they got every single detail right."

As Athrun continued to explain himself Cagalli just remained silent. For once, she was left speechless.

"The last time I gave you a ring you yelled at me for doing it out of an impulse. Now I'm going to give it another try." Athrun closed his eyes and began to take in a deep breath. Then immediately, his eyes were opened again, a look of great determination glimmering inside them.

"Cagalli Nara Athha, will you marry me?"

"..."

Athrun grinned. "I'll take this silence as your consent," Athrun said as he grabbed onto her hand and slowly slipped the ring onto her finger. "From this day forth, you are to be my wife."

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

As one couple was about to reach a major milestone in their relationship, another pair began taking the first step on their own love journey.

"So you're actually Siegel Clyne's daughter?" a bewildered boy asked.

"Yes, that's right," answered the pink haired girl beside him as they continued their carefree walk.

Kira was astonished. Siegel Clyne was the most successful businessman in the entire world, not to mention the most generous philanthropist. He was the very person that Kira had looked up to all these years as his inspiration for continuing his studies. And now he finds out that he's talking to that same man's daughter.

"Amazing. I can't believe I'm talking to his one and only precious daughter."

Lacus giggled at this. "You seem to know a lot about him Kira. Are you interested in going into business?"

This question didn't need to be answered. Anybody that knew Kira knew that his life's ambition was to start up his very own software company. After all, for the past four years he had put his studies and work above all else.

"Yes I am. Actually the reason I came back to ORB is because I'll be opening up my very first business here with one of my childhood friends. It's been one of my life ambitions for quite some time now," Kira said proudly.

"Oh congratulations! It's must be really nice to see your dreams come true." Lacus said cheerfully. She was glad that Kira was a man of ambition and hard work, so unlike most people that she runs into.

"What about you?" he said, interrupting her train of thought.

"Huh?" Lacus asked, not exactly sure of what he meant.

Kira smiled. "What's your dream?"

Lacus was taken by surprise. Nobody had ever really asked her about this. She had never even asked herself. What was her dream? Is it right for her to even have one? Would her dreams ever even come true?

"Well..." Lacus said, "Ever since I was young I've always wanted to be a singer. My father had told me stories about my mother, and how she loved to sing. I guess singing is a way for me to keep in touch with her"

"Oh does your mother live far away from you?" Kira asked curiously, completely unaware of the situation involving Lacus' mother.

Suddenly, Lacus' cheerful face started to fade away. "The truth is...my mother died while giving birth to me..."

Kira's face once again began to turn black. Another foolish comment on his part. "Lacus..I..I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought up painful memories for you..." Kira said trying to fix the problem that he caused.

Lacus could see the regret in his eyes. She didn't want him to pity her because of this. "It's fine Kira. I know it's not exactly the most pleasant conversation to be having. You can just forget about it," Lacus said calmly as she let out a smile. "Actually I ju-"

But before Lacus could let out another word, a pair of strong masculine arms began to wrap themselves around her body. It was Kira. His face had turned completely black and a look of determination remained on his face.

"I know how you must feel Lacus. I also lost my parents at a young age," Kira said trying to hold back his own tears. He more than anyone could sympathize with her. "It's simply a pain that no one else can understand isn't it?"

"..."

Kira let out a sigh. "But that doesn't mean you should bottle up your sadness. This is a burden that no one should have to take up alone. You'll always have people who genuinely care about you. You have your father and Cagalli."

Just then Kira slowly found himself releasing her from his grasp. Then, Kira pressed his forehead right against hers, as he began to whisper softly.

"You have me now too."

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

**What happened after Athrun proposed? How will Lacus react to Kira's warm gesture? The story seems to be progressing pretty slowly right now but don't worry! It'll speed up soon enough in the next few chapters. **


	5. Bonding

**Bonding**

With city streets cleared out and all civilians quietly tucked in their beds, Kira Yamato finally found himself standing outside his front door. As he was pulled out his keys and unlocked the door, he found himself thinking about the gentle girl he was with the entire night.

***** START FLASHBACK *****

**Kira pressed his forehead right against hers, as he began to whisper softly.**

**"You have me now too."**

**Lacus was left utterly speechless. She never talked about her mother with anyone. Even Cagalli, who was suppose to be her best friend, never dared to ask for fear of making her friend unhappy. Lacus couldn't bring this feeling to words, but somehow she felt as if she could tell the man standing in front of her anything. He gave off an unusual sense of safety and security that she had never experienced before. She simply knew he could be trusted.**

"**Thank you Kira," Lacus said with tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him. He truly gave her warmth. **

**Unbeknownst to the two of them, a tall dark figure was standing from afar watching the entire scene. As the young pair departed from their embrace, the man walked up to them.**

"**Lacus honey?"**

**Lacus turned around immediately and gave a surprising look to the man behind them. It was her father.**

***** END FLASHBACK *****

Back at the Clyne residence, Lacus had just prepared to go to bed when her father walked in the room. He knocked on the door, even though he knew she couldn't hear him with her hearing aids off. As Lacus was walking out of the bathroom, she noticed her father waiting by her door.

"May I come in?"

"Of course father," Lacus said as she turned towards her bedside counter and grabbed her earpieces.

Siegel entered the brightly coloured room and walked over to his daughter to help her put them on.

"Thank you. Now what is it you want to discuss father?" Lacus asked curiously, as her father usually didn't come to chat at this hour of the night.

"I was just curious as to who that young lad with you was earlier," Siegel asked calmly, although in truth he had been dying to ask her ever since they returned home.

"Oh he was Cagalli's brother. His name is Kira Yamato"

"Kira Yamato you say," He distinctly remembered hearing about a young child prodigy by the name of Kira Yamato while he was doing business up in the PLANTS. Siegel was quite impressed. "So have the two of you just begun?"

Lacus started to blush badly. "Not at all father! He's just someone I met today!" she said trying to explain herself.

Siegel laughed. Never in his life had he seen his daughter act that way, especially towards a man.

"My mistake darling. I just assumed that fellow was pursuing you because of the beautiful gift that he's given you."

Lacus was puzzled. Kira hadn't given her a gift. "What gift do you mean father?" she asked confusingly.

Siegel paused. It was clear to him that his daughter had not yet realized the true value of this gift. He decided not to answer her as he left the room, leaving a bewildered Lacus behind to think about it herself. But as he left, Siegel couldn't help the grin that came over his mouth.

"_My silly daughter. That boy has given you the gift of a true smile."_

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

Kira walked in the house and hung up his jacket. He hadn't realized just how tired he was until now. As he began to walk upstairs, he heard a strange noise coming from Cagalli's room.

"_My gosh she's still watching TV at this hour? Must have been waiting for me." _Kira thought as he ran upstairs and walked into his sister's room. As Kira approached her room, he noticed the lights were turned off.

"Hey Cagal…."Kira said while looking towards her bed as he turned on light switch. To his surprise and/or utter horror, he saw none other than Athrun and Cagalli engaging in unmentionable activities.

"Whoah Kiraaaaaaa!" Cagalli yelled at the top of her lungs.

Kira quickly turned around. As he ducked his head down, he began to notice articles of clothing and lingerie lying all around the floor. It goes without saying that it was an incredibly awkward situation for all three parties.

"Um, so-sorry about that. I should learn to knock," Kira said stammering trying to explain himself. His face turning as red as a cherry.

The other two individuals quickly covered themselves with the bed sheets. "That's…It's no problem Kira," Athrun said, his face equally as red. "So…when did you get here?" he said trying to lighten the mood.

"Um just now.." Kira replied, his head still ducked down.

Cagalli simply remained silent. There was no way that she was going to live this down.

"Oh..I see. Well….By the way she said yes." Athrun spouted, not knowing what else to say at the moment. _"Although I wish I could've told you a different time..."_

"That's good to hear. I guess I'll be picking out a tux soon. So…." Kira said as he began to get tongue-twisted. _"What do I do now…."_

Cagalli sighed. She was definitely not enjoying this at all. "Just get out of here!"

That was his ticket home. "Okay bye!" he excitedly said as he dashed out the door.

Athrun began to scratch the back of his head. "So do you want to continue with…"

But before Athrun could let out his question, Cagalli had already turned off the lights. Obviously, the mood was gone.

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

The next day, the three of them pretended as if nothing had happened. They got up out of bed and started the day just like they normally would. None of them were willing to bring up that horribly awkward moment again.

As Kira was sitting on the kitchen table enjoying his breakfast, his sister came down the stairs and walked over to the counter to make some coffee.

"By the way, I had a nice talk with Lacus last night." Kira decided to break the ice.

"That's where you were all night?" Cagalli asked surprised. "Don't tell me you were messing around with her?" she said angrily. Not because she was concerned about Kira, but simply because she worried for Lacus.

"Are you crazy? I already have a girlfriend!" Kira paused, almost forgetting what had put him in such a bad mood yesterday in the first place. _"I had a girlfriend…."_

"Oh yeah I heard you broke up with Flay," Cagalli said nonchalantly. In all honesty she never really cared for the girl. Cagalli always felt that Flay was holding Kira down, always expecting him to tend to her needs and put her above everyone else. She was glad that Flay was now out of the picture. "So what now, eHarmony?" Cagalli said, obviously making no effort to console her brother.

Kira ignored her sarcastic remarks. "Crazy!"

Just then, Athrun had also come downstairs.

"Morning everyone," the blue haired gentlemen said as he rushed over to give his now fiancée a peck on the cheeks.

"Morning to you too" the blonde woman replied as she returned his kiss. It was rare of them to display such affection for each other especially with someone in the room. But after the whole incident yesterday night, a peck on the lips was rather conservative. As the couple slowly broke free from their kiss, Athrun turned his head to Kira shyly.

"By the way Kira. The workers said they have to push back the office refurbishing for a couple days. It looks like we'll have a couple days of relaxation before the company officially opens. I was planning for all of us to go to the beach tomorrow. What do you say?"

"Sure whatever," Kira replied blatantly. It wasn't like he had anyone to spend this time with.

Athrun clapped her hands. "Great! It's decided. Now let's go!" Just then he grabbed onto his future wife and headed for the door.

"Ath-Athrun where are we going?"

Her fiancée simply smiled. "Well, I'm going to check out venues while you're going with Miriallia to pick out a dress."

"Wha-What? I never agreed to this!"

"Sorry honey, I already called her. Now let's go, wouldn't want to keep people waiting," Athrun said slyly as he rushed them both out of the house. "Have fun Kira!"

Kira chuckled. Just imagining his twin sister trying on dresses for hours upon hours already made his day. Now there was a question of what to do with it.

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

It was already late in the afternoon as Kira continued his casual drive. He really had no idea what to do with himself. It had been so long since he came to ORB. He was planning on finding Flay, but after sending countless text messages and making over a dozen phone calls, Kira finally decided to give up. _"I'll see her eventually…" _

Just then his stomach began to growl. It was finally catching up with the rest of his body. As if he was about to pass out from exhaustion, Kira quickly looked around for the nearest food stand. Suddenly, he remembered of the noodle shop that Lacus was working at. _"I guess it wouldn't hurt if I stopped by. I mean, we are friends now. Plus, I'm really just coming there for food." _It was decided. Unaware of how excited he was getting, Kira turned around the corner and headed for the same stall where he had bumped into the strange pink haired woman.

**[+++++] [+++++] [+++++]**

Kira slowly walked in and took a seat. He quickly noticed Lacus behind the counter and eagerly tried to get her attention.

"Excuse me can I order?" he said calmly, remembering the first time he had tried to eat here.

"Sorry sir we're clos-" Lacus replied only to be surprised at who was making the order. "Kira?"

"Hey," Kira casually said as he waved his hands. "How are you?"

Lacus smiled. She was actually really glad to see him. "I'm doing fine. And yourself?"

"Not too bad. Just wanted to get something to eat."

"Oh..sorry Kira but we're just about closing right now. I'm really sorry." Lacus said with a sad look on her face. She really didn't want to reject him, but it was getting late. Lacus didn't want a repeat of what happened yesterday.

"It's no problem." Kira was hesitant. "Say….have you eaten yet?"

"Um no not yet. Why do you ask?"

"Well then would you like to go out to dinner with me?" Kira asked shyly. It wasn't as if he really came here for the food anyways.

Lacus was surprised at his offer. _"Is he asking me out on a date?" _She mentally shook her head. _"No, it's just a friendly gesture betweens friends."_ After thinking carefully, Lacus nodded her head. "I would love to Kira."

Kira wasn't sure why, but he suddenly got excited over her agreement. "Great! I'll just wait for you to finish up."

Lacus nodded her head as she began to tidy things up. Once everything was cleaned up, she started to carry the dirty dishes to the back of the kitchen. Kira, being a gentlemen, quickly got up his feet and stole the tray from her hands. Lacus simply smiled. She figured it wouldn't help to fight with him over something so trivial.

"By the way, where are we going?" Lacus asked curiously as she removed her ponytail, letting down her long, wavy hair.

Kira froze up for a minute as he gazed at her magnificent figure.

"Kira?"

As if awakening from a trance, Kira tried to regain his composure, not wanting to look like a lecher in front of her.

"Huh?"

"Where will we be dining?" she asked again, confused at his strange behaviour.

Kira took a minute to think. "Ladies choice."


End file.
